


Virus Unknown

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Case, Fever, Flu, Gen, Mystery, Plague, Quarantine, Rescue, Revenge, Virus, ill, saved - Freeform, sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23995081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: A flu plague sweeps over the city rendering most of the humans sick and helpless, and it happens just days after many deviants were wiped out by a fatal error. Connor, Markus and the other deviants keep the city functioning while also looking for the source of the flu and finding a vaccine to end the illness before it gets any worse. (*Direct sequel to "Error Unknown")
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	1. It Started With A Fever

Despite being cleared from the hospital and being freed of a technician's care Connor was still very weak and needed to take extra precautions as his Thirium was still absent of the crucial nanites that allow his self healing program to function, and any small bump or cut could cause serious problems for the still healing, and now physically exhausted, deviant. With Hank guiding him to the front door of the house and treating him like he was a fragile paper doll Connor tried to not be offended at the gesture as he knew that it was a human reaction to help a friend or a family member in need, but a part of him couldn't help but feel somewhat irritated by Hank's constant hovering.

As they stepped through the front door of the house and out of the chilly spring rain Connor stared down at his right hand where his artificial skin was still struggling to regenerate over his palm and fingertips. Despite his Thirium reserve being topped off to one-hundred percent capacity Connor was still very weak and his system had been recalibrating his system to focus primarily on healing his Thirium pump, which had been damaged by the error, and as a result his artificial skin was being neglected as his heart was far more important.

"Why don't you lay down on the couch for a while and rest?" Hank urged as he followed the deviant through the front door of the house. He shrugged off his his own coat and took Connor's lightweight jacket from the deviant to hang the wet garments up on the hook by the front door. "I know you're tired still, and I bet you need to take some time to let your biocomponents do their thing and let you recover."

"I'm fine, Hank." Standing in the middle of the livingroom Connor tried but failed to scan the environment as his system was functioning on low power. The lack of reading made his shoulders slump with self disappointment for only a moment before Sumo came trotting into the livingroom from Hank's bedroom down the hallway. "I can handle going through my evening routine without needing any assistance."

"I know that, but you don't have to take of yourself alone anymore."

"I'm aware, but I'd prefer to be left alone for a while so I can recalibrate my system more properly."

"Want to go chill in your bedroom then?"

"No." The strange reaction to his own answer furrowed Connor's brow with utter confusion. "It's difficult to explain but, as much as I want to be alone I also don't want to be... isolated."

"That's normal, son." Watching Connor sit down on the couch slowly, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated as if he were suffering from low iron or something else making him seem anemic, Hank sympathized with the deviant as he too understood the feeling of his own body seemingly giving up on him at the worst possible time. "You want to have some privacy while you heal, but after everything you been through you want to have someone nearby so you feel more at ease."

"Yes. I believe that's correct." As Sumo sat down beside his right leg and pressed his chin down atop his right knee Connor felt suddenly more at ease and placed his somewhat exposed right palm down atop the loyal dog's head. "It's a strange and conflicting feeling."

"Strange and conflicting is humanity in a nutshell, kid."

"...I also dislike being instructed to remain idle while at home and remain behind a desk while at the precinct."

"Sorry, Connor. You need to wait until a new batch of those nanite thingies get sent out so you can finally have a fixed up self healing program."

"You were paying attention to Abby when she explained my condition."

"Are you surprised?"

"Not at all." Rubbing Sumo's ears Connor turned to look at Hank who was hovering over the back of the couch and gave him a kind smile. The yellow L.E.D. in right temple wasn't an ideal color, but considering Connor was previously on death's door and was now conscious again the amber hue was a very welcome sight. "I appreciate you helping me during my recovery."

" _Buuut_?"

"...But I do wish that you'd give me some space. I'm not going to fall apart if you leave me alone for one minute."

"Yeah, I getcha'." Patting Connor's shoulder lightly Hank took a step back from the couch and sighed. "You just do what you need to do while I go and let Fowler know you're back on the clock. You may be stuck on desk duty, but at least you'll be at the precinct again."

"I'd rather be at the precinct where I can be of some use rather than remain here and useless."

"Let's get one thing clear right now," Hank spoke up in an almost stern manner as he addressed his deviant friend. "you're never useless. You're just tired and you need the time to recover after being seriously sick. That's all."

"...Thank you, Hank."

"Now," walking into the kitchen Hank sighed and pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'm going to talk to Fowler, order a pizza and I'll get you an order of that Thirium based ice cream to snack on."

"But I don't need any additional Thirium." The offer was generous but not required. "It isn't necessary."

"Another thing humans like to do when someone is sick is get them hooked up with ice cream, kid. It's what we humans refer to as 'comfort food'."

"Isn't relying on food for emotional support a sign of an eating disorder?"

"Comfort comes from more than just dealing with emotions, Connor."

"How so?"

"Well, when I smell anything that reminds me of my mother's cooking I think of my mom and I feel happy, and that happiness gives me a physical sense of warmth and literal comfort. So any time I eat something that she once made and it tastes the same I find comfort because it brings back memories of my mother."

"...Oh."

"Don't worry about it. Emotions are confusing," Hank confirmed as he called Captain Fowler and pressed his phone to his right ear. "and humans are even MORE confusing. You just take it easy and stop worrying about how fucked humans are for a while."

Nodding where he sat Connor sighed and then slowly fell to his right side to try to let his body relax as much as possible. "I will attempt to do so."

* * *

The following morning Connor found himself on the couch and was a little confused as to why he was laying on the couch despite having his own bedroom and bed to sleep in. Remembering what had happened the previous few days Connor sighed, ran a self diagnostic and pushed himself upright on the couch with his right arm. Feeling a soft blanket fall from his left side Connor looked down at the warm layer and realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch and that Hank had covered him under the blanket as a form of comfort.

Pulling the blanket back around himself, his body feeling slightly colder than usual thanks to his malfunctioning artificial skin, Connor stood up slowly from the couch on his shaking legs and glanced about the house curiously. The smell of last night's pizza was still wafting in the air, and there was a single empty beer bottle in the kitchen indicating what Hank had for his dinner after Connor fell asleep.

Curious as to where Hank was in that moment Connor wandered down the hallway and noticed that Hank was still asleep in his own bed, and he had Sumo sprawled out over the foot of the bed beside him. Sumo always hung out with Hank whenever the senior detective gave him scraps for dinner since Connor refused to let Sumo eat food that was poor for his diet.

As he turned to take his leave of the bedroom to allow Hank to sleep-in on their day off Connor heard a very faint cough escape from the senior detective, which immediately drew his attention back over to Hank. Unable to run a full scan on anything just yet Connor chose instead to use a less detailed but equally reliable method of checking on Hank's condition without waking him up.

Pressing his already partially exposed right palm over Hank's forehead Connor's sensors in his hand confirmed that Hank's body temperature was slightly elevated, but it wasn't high enough to be considered feverish.

"The cold rain must've had an affect on Hank physically." Showing Hank the same kindness that the senior detective had shown toward him the previous night Connor draped the blanket he had around himself atop of Hank as he slept peacefully under his quilt. "Resting is the most ideal way for him to recover from the chill and prevent further illness."

Quietly departing from the bedroom Connor instantly felt cold again now that he didn't have the blanket wrapped around himself. Thinking quickly Connor remembered that humans would often take hot showers to not only relax after a strenuous day, but also to stave off the cold during winter time.

Desperate to warm up Connor made his way into the bathroom and turned on the shower to a warm degree before he reluctantly removed the white dress shirt he had fallen asleep in, the work uniform was the only outfit he had to wear upon being discharged, and noted how pale and thin his artificial skin was still appearing over his right arm, shoulder, upper chest and side.

"...I imagine I'd be much warmer if my skin would cooperate with me."

Removing his jeans Connor stepped into the shower and let the coveted warm water pour over his body, careful to not let the water get under his thinned skin to ensure it didn't get inside his body through the joints of his plastimetal frame. Connor then closed his eyes and received a message from Markus as the ill deviant leader had also recovered at long last.

' _Connor, are you well_?'

' _Markus_...' Feeling a twinge of relief upon being contacted by his friend Connor's lingering tension began to fade. ' _I am well_. _I take you are recovering from the error without complication_?'

' _Yes, I'm fine_. _I have just regained cybernetic contact with my allies and I wanted to see how you're fairing_.'

' _I'm going to make a full recovery_. _How are the rest of our people_?'

' _Josh is going to recover as well, and everyone who had been affected by the error will recover in time_.'

'... _How many did we lose due to this error_?'

Markus fell silent for a moment before he reluctantly answered the question honestly. ' _Two-hundred and seventeen thousand, three-hundred and six total deviants lost their lives to the error_.'

Connor didn't react verbally as the high number just broke his heart. Being one of the hundreds of thousands of androids affected by the error and being able to survive while so many others succumbed was a very frightening and humbling feeling.

' _Our people are recovering, Connor_. _Our numbers have dropped but we're still going to live on, and we're going to continue to make this world a better place for those of us who were fortunate enough to survive_.'

'... _Of course, yes_.' Opening his soulful brown eyes Connor's brow furrowed slightly as his system confirmed his core temperature was now optimal and he no longer required the shower to keep warm. ' _I will be returning to the precinct tomorrow for desk duty_. _I will continue to investigate this error and ensure that the program used to spread such an error can never be reactivated_.'

' _That's good to know_. _Take care of yourself, Connor_. _I'll see you soon_.'

' _You do the same my friend_. _See you later_.' Turning off the shower Connor grabbed a towel from the nearby towel rack and wrapped it around himself to cover up before stepping out of the shower to stand on the bathmat in front of the sink. "Perhaps if Hank takes a warm shower as well he will feel better."

Picking up his dirty clothes from the floor Connor opened up the bathroom door and walked into his own bedroom to change into clean and warm clothes. The deviant didn't have much to his name considering he didn't want anything material and didn't feel the need to purchase items for his own amusement or comfort. Thanks to Hank he did have a modest wardrobe of simple clothing to wear when not at the precinct, and to ensure the temperature sensitive deviant didn't feel too cold during the winter time.

Grateful for the thick warm black colored hoodie and long sleeved black shirts in his closet Connor layered up and pulled on a clean pair of blue jeans to redress himself, and keep warm. As he stepped back into the hallway Connor was met with Sumo's cold wet nose pressing into his left palm as the massive Saint Bernard trotted into the kitchen to check out his food bowls.

"Feeling better, son?" Hank dragged his left hand through his messy gray locks of hair and yawned as he followed Sumo down the hallway.

"Yes. I was able to reestablish cybernetic contact with Markus and run a self diagnostic."

"Good to hear." Noticing that Connor's hair was damp Hank gave the deviant an odd look. "Did you shower?"

"Yes, I was feeling cold and the warm shower helped."

"Oh, well, take back your blanket and you'll be fine."

"I will in a moment." Entering the kitchen alongside Hank the deviant poured Sumo some food much to the dog's delight, and watched as Hank pulled some leftover pizza from the refrigerator. "How are you feeling?"

"A little rundown, but otherwise fine." Placing a slice of the pizza in the microwave Hank then pulled open the freezer and tossed Connor the pint of ice cream he had ordered for the deviant the previous night. "Why do you ask?"

Catching the plastic container in both hands Connor answered the question honestly. "I noticed you were running a slightly elevated temperature and I know that the cold can have a negative effect on human immune systems leaving them more vulnerable to viral infections."

"I'm fine, kid." Pulling his pizza from the microwave Hank watched as Connor peeled back the lid on the ice cream and gave the pale blue Thirium-based treat an uncertain glance. "There's a mild flu going around at the precinct, but it's not a big deal. Happens every year."

"You're certain?"

Opening up the silverware drawer Hank retrieved a spoon and presented it to Connor. "Yup."

"...Sorry."

"It's cool, kid. I know you're just looking out for me in the same way I look out for you."

Following after Hank back into the livingroom Connor sat down on the couch while Hank took the recliner, and he dipped the spoon into the smooth surface of the ice cream to try it. "Do you think it's wise for us to return to the precinct during a flu epidemic? You might get ill if you return to work."

"I could get sick just by going out to the grocery store, too. We need to go back and help out."

"I suppose you're right." Picking up a small amount of the ice cream on the tip of the spoon Connor gave the frozen Thirium a small taste. It wasn't a terrible taste but since he didn't need to replenish his Thirium he simply had no appetite for the Thirium itself. "...There's a lot of work that needs to be done now that over half of the deviant population has been permanently shutdown."

The pain in Connor's words struck a chord with Hank as he studied the deviant's glum demeanor. "Son?"

Glancing up at Hank with despondent stare Connor gave the senior detective his full attention.

"Everything is going to be okay."

"...Yeah." He knew it was the truth but it didn't make it any easier to contemplate. "But it'll take a long time to happen."

"You're right, but it _will_ happen. Trust me."

* * *

What had started as a little flu epidemic in the precinct had turned into a citywide pandemic as officers and citizens alike fell prey to the serious infection at a steady and rapid pace. While the precinct had initially been able to keep up with the sudden lack of healthy bodies by temporarily transferring unaffected officers from neighboring precincts; giving the rookie officers more time on patrol and letting up all on all of the excess overtime, the solution had proven itself to be as effective as putting a band-aid on a broken leg.

Thanks to the remaining deviants still holding positions in the precinct and acting in the stead of their downed human colleagues the precincts, the fire departments, the hospitals and other emergency services continued to function well enough to keep the city from falling into absolute chaos. Due to the severity and speed of the flu spreading throughout the city at an alarming rate Detroit itself was placed under quarantine; effectively keeping anyone from entering or leaving the city until the sickness was finally under control.

Ever loyal and protective of his human companion Connor walked over to his desk in the middle of the bullpen with a large cup of warm tea in his right hand with the intention of getting his partner to drink the tea and help keep up his strength.

Exhausted and feeling like death warmed over Hank watched through glassy bloodshot blue eyes as Connor placed the large mug of steaming tea down in front of him, and slowly pushed it closer toward his still somewhat pale right hand to drink. Eyeing the drink warily Hank asked the obvious question. "What the hell is that?"

"Tea."

"I don't drink tea."

"You should." Connor remarked as he returned to his seat across from Hank and studied his partner carefully. As he ran a scan over the human from where he sat, Connor's programming now functioning properly, his blue L.E.D. shifted to yellow for a moment before settling back on its calm blue. "Tea has natural antioxidants that have proven beneficial in aiding the immune system by removing-"

"I don't care about that 'hippie-dippie' bullshit, Connor."

"What about scientific merit?"

"Nope."

Trying to understand Hank's reasoning Connor pressed for more information. "May I ask why you don't drink tea?"

"It's boiled leaves in a cup, kid. That's gross."

"I added some lemon and honey to flavor and sweeten the tea without adding any unnecessary calories to the drink, or compromising its health benefits."

"No." Leaning back in his seat Hank rubbed his right fingers over his tired eyes as he let out a heavy sigh followed immediately by a weak, short cough. "I want some damn coffee."

Staying quiet Connor's L.E.D. shifted from blue to yellow again as he performed yet another scan.

"What?" Noticing the yellow light and blank expression on Connor's face Hank dropped his hand from his eyes and waited for the deviant to reply. "Why are you staring at me?"

"You're developing a cough due to building congestion in your lungs. You had a mild cough yesterday morning and it's slowly becoming more severe. You are becoming ill."

"I'm not sick, kid. It's just a dry spot in my throad that tickles every once in a while."

"Tea would help alleviate your cough and remedy your dry throat."

"Uh-huh..."

"Hank." Giving the senior detective a rather somber glance the deviant laid everything out on the line. "You're beginning to exhibit the early symptoms of the flu that has already affected forty-two percent of the city. I don't want to see you hospitalized."

"Hospital?" Nearly scoffing at the idea of being admitted to the hospital for a little cough Hank gave Connor a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's the flu, kid. Not pneumonia or lung cancer."

"Last evening Officer Chen was admitted to the hospital when Gavin went to her apartment and found her unresponsive and suffering from a dangerously high fever."

The information was unexpected and pulled Hank's attention toward Connor's words. "Tina went down?"

"Correct." Glancing past Hank to look at Captain Fowler sitting in his office through the transparent wall as he too worked to type up a report on his terminal screen, Connor saw the same early symptoms of the flu beginning to affect the commanding officer at an unsettling pace. Keeping one eye on Captain Fowler as he spoke to Hank sitting across from him Connor continued to update the senior detective on the status of the precinct. "Officer Miller had also been admitted to the hospital this morning, along with his wife."

Feeling suddenly more fatigued Hank eyed the offered tea again but didn't make a move toward it. "Two officers down isn't that big of a deal."

"Detective Collins had also been admitted to the hospital this afternoon."

"Okay, _three_."

"Hank, they were all showing minimal symptoms of the flu before their conditions deteriorated rapidly." Catching a weak cough coming from Captain Fowler through the glass wall of the commanding officer's personal office Connor knew it was only a matter of time before the other humans fell prey to the dreaded and almost crippling flu. "If you fall ill from this epidemic I fear your health will suffer long term effects that will prevent you from successfully performing your duties as an officer of the law."

"Connor," picking up the mug of tea Hank gave the deviant a stern glance as he peered at Connor through the rising steam originating from the warm beverage now in his hand. "if I drink the damn tea will you back the hell off for a while?"

"...It's possible."

"I'll take it then." Begrudgingly Hank took a sip of the tea and decided that he didn't absolutely revile the taste, but he still preferred coffee over tea. "As soon as my cough lets up I'm going to down a whole pot of coffee just to spite you."

"That would be incredibly hazardous to your health."

Motioning to the precinct all around him Hank challenged the statement. "Compared to what?"

"...Fair point."

Putting the partially emptied mug down on the desk again Hank rubbed his left hand over the back of his tense neck and glanced about the fairly barren bullpen with an oddly complacent stare. "It hasn't been this quiet since the night of the Revolution."

"It was quiet in the precinct but not in the streets that night."

"That's because everyone left the precinct to get _onto_ the streets to either fight or celebrate."

Before he could respond to Hank's remark Connor's blue L.E.D. shifted to yellow and he quickly rose to his feet as he moved around the desks and rushed to Captain Fowler's office door.

"Connor?" Watching as the deviant rapidly entered the private space Hank too rose from his desk and followed after his partner and entered the office. As soon as he saw Connor approach the desk while not seeing any sign of Captain Fowler anywhere Hank instinctively knew something was seriously wrong. "Kid? What's going on?"

Kneeling down on the floor behind the desk Connor put his right hand on Captain Fowler's left shoulder and gently rolled the unconscious man from his right side where he had collapsed onto the floor, and moved him so he was laying on his back. "Captain Fowler is unconscious."

"Shit." Seeing Captain Fowler unconscious on the floor made Hank pale a few shades out of nervousness. "The flu got him, too?"

"Apparently so." Connor pressed his left palm down in the middle of Captain Fowler's shirt over his heart and retracted the artificial skin from his hand as he proceeded to run a more direct scan over Captain Fowler's person. The elevated temperature, congested breathing and elevated blood pressure were all clear external signs of the flu. Being unconscious due to his collapse was a symptom of either the flu or exhaustion as well. "He's suffering from a severe fever of one-hundred and three point six degrees, and he's suffering from severe congestion building in both lungs."

"Fuckin' hell." Pulling his phone from his right jean pocket Hank sighed and proceeded to call for help to come to the precinct and aid Captain Fowler. "I'll call 911 to take him to the hospital. You and me are going to stay here and try to keep things from getting any worse..."

Nodding a little Connor maintained his position to monitor Captain Fowler's vital signs very closely as he cybernetically tapped into Hank's phone call with the 911 operator. The operator in question was a deviant who was flawlessly recording everything Hank was saying, and confirmed that an ambulance was on its way to the scene to tend to the downed police Captain.

"Help's coming." Hank confirmed as he ended the call and scrolled through his contacts in his phone to let Fowler's wife know what was happening to her now ill husband. "I'm going to call Maria and let her know to meet Jeffrey at the hospital, and to be prepared for the flu."

"I believe St. Mercy Hospital may be getting overwhelmed with flu patients, it's possible that patients may end up being transferred over to St. Vevila Hospital as a result."

"So?" Pressing his phone to his ear again Hank waited for Maria to answer the line so he could speak to her.

"St. Vevila is a hybrid hospital designed to aid humans and deviants alike." Connor explained in a casual tone of voice. His L.E.D. cycled yellow steadily as he maintained an accurate recording of Captain Fowler's current vital signs to be used by the paramedics upon their arrival. "It's not finished and won't be fully operational due to the previous error overwhelming the two hospitals will ill deviants."

"Oh." The reply was succinct and helped paint a vivid picture of the dire situation the entire city had found itself in once again. "Fan-fuckin'-tastic..."

_**-next chapter-  
** _


	2. Delirium

After the ambulance left the precinct with Captain Fowler now loaded up as the single patient in the back Hank took over as the head of the precinct as he was in fact the senior commanding officer in Captain Fowler's absence. Pacing about the personal office with righteous worry in his steps Hank sighed with frustration and dragged his right palm over his slightly sweaty forehead as he tried to think of what to do to keep the precinct from falling apart under his watch. The last time he needed to step up as commanding officer was almost six years prior when Captain Fowler was in a car accident on the way to work, and even then he wasn't in charge for more than two hours before another Captain from a neighboring precinct was clocked in.

Exhausted, confused and at the end of his patience Hank was ready to either snap or hide away from the world until the flu epidemic finally ended. As he paced about the small private office he caught sight of Connor with a yellow tinted L.E.D. rushing up to the office door and entering without knocking. Sensing that the deviant detective had an update on the situation Hank paused mid stride and put his hands to his hips to await the information.

"Hank," walking right up to the senior detective Connor paused before him and ran a quick scan to record Hank's vitals as a precautionary measure. As expected Hank wasn't in the best of health at the moment, but at least he was still conscious. "I just received word that Captain Fowler has indeed been infected with the same unknown virus that has affected the rest of the precinct with severe flu-like symptoms."

"No shit."

"...He's also slipped into a coma."

"Holy..." Paling to an uncomfortably white shade Hank stared at the deviant and sighed with mounting stress that was causing his head to throb hard enough he could hear his own heartbeat. "Fuckin' Hell. Did his wife get to the hospital alright?"

"Yes. And... she too is exhibiting signs of the illness."

"Maria's sick, _too_? What about their kids?"

"According to Maria she had sent Jeremiah and Renee to stay with their grandparents in Ann Arbor until this illness passes over. They aren't ill and they're safe from possible contamination from within the city."

"Good. At least we have _something_ positive to fall back on."

Connor stayed quiet as he watched Hank's demeanor and body language very carefully, his soulful brown eyes searching over Hank's face as if looking for a clue to the very real mystery that had become entangled within.

"What?" Straightening his posture up a little Hank knew that there was something on the deviant's mind. "What's wrong?"

"You're pale."

"Yeah, that happens when I get tired."

"You're also sweating," the deviant noted with a keen eye. "your heart rate has elevated and your body temperature has reached one-hundred and one point three degrees Fahrenheit. You're ill."

"Connor, I'm fine."

"You're not."

"Kid," holding up his right hand Hank gave the deviant a stern look and then motioned to the nearly empty bullpen through the transparent wall of the office with his left hand. "look around us. I _have_ to be fine. Yes, I'm sick but I can still function. Until we can somehow get ahead of this damn flu I have to stay in charge for the sake of keeping as much of the city under control as possible."

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard if you're-"

"Connor, stop. Don't forget you're recovering from your own little virus, too." Pushing the matter aside Hank walked over to Captain Fowler's desk and logged into the terminal to write a report to the higher-ups as he assumed command of the precinct for the time being. With any luck they'd be able to send down a more interested police captain to take over the precinct in Hank's stead before he got any worse. "This flu stuff is only hurting humans, right?"

Hesitant to respond as he wanted Hank to take it easy Connor paused, but eventually answered honestly. "Correct. No androids have been affected by this virus which confirms it's strictly biological in nature."

"How many deviants are still working here?"

"Including myself there are eight deviants currently on the clock."

"Damn. Who's where, and what're they currently doing?"

"To date I'm the only active detective. Two deviants are monitoring the parking garage as security guards, one is working at the receptionist's desk, two have gone on patrol and have rotated their shifts, one deviants is filing case reports and the two remaining deviants are interviewing medical staff at the hospitals throughout the city to try to understand how this flu is being spread, how to prevent it and how long it takes for a proper recovery."

"Wait, what?" Giving Connor an odd glance Hank furrowed his brow and he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are they at the hospital asking about this flu? Being sick isn't a crime, it's just the damn flu."

"Apparently it's not."

"What do you mean?"

"The analysis on this particular flu strain confirms that this virus entirely new." The information was bleak if not threatening to hear. "It's not a natural mutation, either. It was engineered to be this aggressive, and it has no known origin point for us to trail back to the person, or persons, responsible for this outbreak."

"Holy shit. Damn it, no wonder everyone is dropping like flies."

"This is also why I want you to refrain from exerting yourself." The caution wasn't unfounded as Hank's somewhat advanced age and previously poor health made him particularly vulnerable for such an infection. If anything Hank was the most vulnerable and could very well collapse from being sick. "If you have been infected-"

"I'll be fine, son. Just keep me up to date on how many human officers are still standing."

"...Six."

"Not here, kid." Hovering his hands over the keyboard Hank resumed typing up the report to be sent before he returned his attention to keeping the precinct from burning down. "I meant officers in the whole city."

Connor's mouth ticked a little as he wrung his hands together nervously in front of himself. "...Six."

" _Six_?" As his hands froze over the keyboard Hank looked around the terminal screen toward the deviant standing a few feet away. "... _Six_ human cops in the _whole_ damn city?"

"Correct. There are only eight human firefighters left in the city, and human medical staff in the hospitals have been reduced to only twelve percent as well."

"Damn. I can't just have the deviants taking charge of everything, you guys need a break, too. You've all been through so much bullshit already, the last thing you guys need to do is clean up after humans when humans screwed you guys over."

"You may not have a choice in the matter, Hank. We can handle it, and we know that not all humans are at fault for the misdeeds of just three others."

Pressing his right hand over his sweaty forehead as he leaned against the desk top Hank sighed again, and nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll stay here and take care of the paperwork and the bullshit that goes with it. You head out and check in with patrol and then hit up each hospital to get as much information as possible on whatever this bullshit is."

"Right away."

"And," holding up his left hand as if he could stop the deviant from leaving with the simple gesture. "I want you to go check in with New Jericho Tower and get some information from Markus."

The strange request made Connor's yellow L.E.D. briefly flash to red with confusion. "May I ask why?"

"New Jericho can keep tabs on the deviants city better than anyone else. If they can spare anyone who is even remotely qualified to offer any form of public protection lead them this way, and make sure they get some sort of compensation. If there was ever a time to prove that humans have accepted deviants as equals, it's now. Volunteers only, don't force deviants to do work they don't want to deal with."

"I understand." With his yellow L.E.D. cycling back to a content blue Connor nodded and gave Hank a single sympathetic look before he took his leave of the office to cross the bullpen and begin his new mission. "I'll remain in touch."

Watching as the deviant promptly marched out of the precinct to take to the streets Hank sighed again and stifled a weak cough that made his chest ache a little, and he cleared his throat. Pressing his right palm over his own left wrist he counted his radial pulse, and Hank knew that Connor was right and he was in fact sick with that dreaded flu.

"Damn it." Shrugging off his thick dark coat Hank put his full attention to the report under his fingertips and stared at the terminal screen. His head was throbbing and his vision was beginning to blur from fatigue. "I don't need to be the last man standing, I just need to make it long enough to make sure the kid doesn't get overwhelmed by how serious this shit really is."

* * *

Following his instructions clearly Connor arrived at New Jericho Tower via autonomous taxi and greeted Markus in the front lobby of the android sanctuary, and promptly informed him of the dire situation plaguing humans just as it had plagued deviants the week prior. Informing the deviant leader that Hank was already showing signs of illness and that a majority of the city had fallen sick with this new strain of the flu it was clear that Connor was getting worried for his human friend, and didn't want to see Hank hospitalized anymore than Hank wanted to go and see a doctor for a confirmed diagnosis.

The plague sweeping over the city hadn't gone unnoticed by the deviants sheltering in the tower, but a majority of the deviants were righteously wary of going back into the street while recovering from the error that left them with compromised self healing programs. One injury from a misstep or an angry bigot could prove fatal for the deviant victim in theory.

"How're you handling the situation in the city?" Standing with Connor in the suddenly much quieter New Jericho Tower the deviant leader gave his friend his full attention. "We've been preoccupied with helping our people recover from the previous error and haven't been paying too much attention to the news."

"We're trying to maintain some semblance of order through quarantine and isolation. We don't understand how the virus is spreading so quickly and we don't know where it originated. This strain of flu is entirely new, and there's very little that can be done to protect those who had been infected."

"Isolation does seem to be the best way to keep people safe." Sounding disappointed in the city itself Markus gave Connor a worried glance. "What can we do to help?"

"Any deviant who is willing to volunteer their time and skills to aid humans through medical intervention and law enforcement will be greatly appreciated. Those who volunteer will also be given payment for their efforts."

"I'll spread the word, but how can we guarantee that our people will be safe while helping the humans?"

"Beyond my own word I can't offer anything more." Speaking in a low tone Connor's blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow for just a moment. "If no one wants to volunteer I won't bear any ill will toward them. I too am still recovering from the error, and I know how frightening it is to be left so vulnerable."

"The difference between what happened to us and what's happening to the humans now is that we've managed to recover," Markus wisely noted as he spoke with Connor in the lobby of the tower. "and the humans are still trying to figure out what's happening to them. Keep in touch, my friend. I'll urge those deviants with the proper qualifications to aid the humans and help the city heal as a whole."

"Thank you, Markus." Extending his right Connor shook Markus's hand a respectful gesture. "Take care of yourself."

"You do the same. Be safe."

* * *

Sitting behind the desk in the private office Hank groaned as his headache worsened and his stomach began to turn. As an annoying cough settled in his chest the senior detective forced himself to finish typing up his e-mail and informing the higher-ups of the situation taking place inside the precinct. The e-mail exchange was sluggish as it seemed the flu had reached every inch of the city and showed no mercy to anyone it came across. Receiving the final message confirming that Hank would have to remain in charge until outside help could come to the city Hank fell back in his chair and pressed his left hand over his sweaty and hot forehead with frustration.

"Fuck me..." Turning off the modem with his right hand Hank let out a shaking breath and felt his body beginning to tremble. "Damn flu shot didn't help anyone this year."

The office door opened back up as Connor returned to the precinct to check in on Hank. "New Jericho is still taking precautions to keep our people safe until the new Thirium arrives to restore our nanites. It's possible that deviants will volunteer to help, but there are no guarantees."

"Great..."

"Based on your reaction I believe it's safe to presume you didn't have any fortune regarding the possibility to locating a suitable replacement Captain in your stead."

"Bingo..."

"This is unfortunate." Sitting down in the chair across from Hank as the senior detective remained in his chair Connor noted that Hank's fever was getting worse and that he was trembling from muscle weakness and mild dehydration. Not wanting to see Hank get any worse than he already was Connor decided to focus on helping Hank before trying to find a way to help the rest of the city. "Hank, you should go home and rest."

"...Whyzat?"

The slurring of Hank's words made Connor's blue L.E.D. flash to a cautious yellow as he ran another scan over Hank's body. "Hank?" The already high fever was getting higher and it was clear that Hank's complexion had paled to an eerie shade. Standing up from the desk Connor walked over to Hank and retracted the artificial skin from his left palm as he pressed his hand down on Hank's right shoulder. "Hank, please look at me."

"...M'fine."

"No, you're not. You're ill."

"I said..." Dropping his left hand from his forehead Hank's glassy blue eyes locked onto Connor's face for a only a moment before slipping shut. "I'm fine... Cole."

"Cole?" Realizing Hank was becoming delirious Connor reacted quickly and pulled Hank's right arm around his shoulders to heft the ill man up from the chair and onto his feet. "You're very ill, Hank. You need to be resting."

"...I have to work." The sick detective stated in a slurring stupor. "'Red ice'..."

"You took care of the 'red ice' in the city already." Trying to gauge how confused Hank truly was Connor spoke to Hank and carried him at his left side to escort him from the office, across the bullpen and back outside to the neighboring parking garage. As he passed by the lone receptionist in the front of the building Connor cybernetically let her know that Hank was ill, and that at the moment Connor would have to be the commanding officer in charge. "Hank, do you know where you are?"

"...Working."

"Not anymore." Escorting Hank to the parking garage with mild difficulty Connor managed to locate the car's keys in Hank's pocket and unlock the doors of the vehicle. Placing Hank down in the front passenger seat Connor fastened the sick detective's seatbelt and pressed his right palm to Hank's forehead in a gentle manner. "Your fever is up to one-hundred and four degrees even. You need medical attention."

"M'fine, son..." Leaning back against the headrest as Connor closed the door and moved to the other side of the vehicle to sit down behind the steering wheel while Hank continued to mutter incoherently as his delirium stole his thoughts. "...Juzza' cold."

"It's not a cold." Putting the key in the ignition Connor turned over the engine and backed the car out of its assigned parking space. Turning the vehicle to get onto the road Connor cybernetically checked in with all of the hospitals in the city and confirmed that every one of them was overwhelmed with flu patients. "I'm going to try to help you as best as I can, Hank."

"...You're a good kid." Muttering and rambling where he sat Hank was clearly in rough shape. "...How whuz your little league game?"

Falling silent as the question made Connor feel uncomfortable and out of place the deviant focused on the roads and keeping Hank healthy. Turning on the car's A/C to maximum in both speed and temperature Connor pointed the cold vents at Hank to try to ease his fever as much as possible. Locating the nearest opened drugstore Connor pulled into the parking lot and left the engine running so keep the cold air flowing.

"I'll be right back, Hank. I need to purchase you the proper medication to combat your flu."

"...Need money?"

The question made Connor's brow arch inquisitively. "Pardon?"

"Savin' your allowance?" It was clear that Hank confused and had mistaken Connor for Cole. Coughing a little Hank gave the deviant a sideways smirk. "Good boy. You're already so responsible..."

"I'll be only a moment. Stay in the car."

"Dad's not going anywhere..." Reaching out his left hand Hank pressed his palm onto Connor's right shoulder as he gave the deviant a delirious smile of paternal pride. "...Get your snacks and we'll go to your game."

"Right... Of course."

"...Get some bubblegum, too."

The suggestion was as confusing as the rest of Hank's behavior. "Bubblegum?"

"It helps ya' concentrate on the game."

Unsure of how to react to such a claim Connor stepped out the car and made his way to the store as quickly as he could. Scanning the environment swiftly Connor honed in on the correct aisle to pick up the proper medication and noticed that he and the deviant cashier were the only two people in the entire store. The aisles were well stocked and yet still partially empty as people had stocked up on medication when the flu started to spread, but it wasn't enough to spare the citizens from the notorious sickness.

"I need medication that'll control his fever and ease his cough before it gets worse."

Picking up the correct medication from the shelves Connor glanced about for other items of use to ensure Hank recovered properly.

"He's sweating. Water is crucial to keeping him hydrated."

Placing the medication down on the front counter to purchase Connor walked down the far side of the store and located the freezer section that was stocked up on large bottles of water, isotonic drinks, milk and various fruit juices. Selecting two large bottles of water and six bottles of isotonic drinks; each bottle a different flavor, Connor placed the items down next to the medication on the front counter and made one more sweep of the aisles to ensure he didn't have to make a second trip in order to take care of Hank properly.

Passing through the aisles one at a time Connor decided to pick up cough drops, two re-freezable ice packs and six new clean washcloths to ensure he had everything necessary to help Hank recover from his flu. As he reached the front register for the final time Connor's eyes fell on a small pack of pink bubblegum sitting beside a few other select pieces of candy.

"Hank requested it." Selecting the gum from the other candy options Connor paid for his groceries and carried the recyclable paper bag in his arms out to the car. The transaction was silent as Connor was able to cybernetically pay for his items without needing to speak to the cashier. "Perhaps the candy was a subconscious request that was brought forward by his delirium."

Returning to the car with the purchased items Connor opened up the driver's side door and placed the groceries down on the floor by Hank's feet. Pulling one of the bottles of water from the selected items in the bag Connor handed it over to Hank to drink.

The sick detective looked at the water and tried to away from it. "...Not thirsty."

"Yes you are." Removing the lid Connor insisted that Hank drink the water and rehydrate. "Drink some of this water and we'll go home."

With his shaking right hand Hank took the bottle of water from Connor's hand and began to drink a little of the water. Despite not feeling well Hank was being a surprisingly cooperative patient. The part of Hank that mistook Connor for Cole was seemingly focused primarily on taking care of his young son, and not arguing with his stubborn partner.

"Thank you." Taking back the water bottle Connor returned his right palm to Hank's forehead and ran a scan to check on his fever. One-hundred and four point two degrees. "You need to bring your fever down." Next retrieving the fever reducing medication from the grocery bag Connor offered Hank two of the tablets to take. "Ingest these with some water."

"It's fine. I don't-"

"Please." Pushing the pills toward Hank's person Connor gave him a truly worried glance. Internally Connor began kicking himself for the follow-up comment he was about to tag on just to keep Hank cooperative. "...Dad."

That term deeply resonated within Hank's mind. Accepting the pills Hank put them in his mouth and quickly downed them with his water, and then leaned back in his seat. "...Okay."

"Thank you."

With the medication and some water now in Hank's body Connor drove back home as quickly but safely as possible to get the senior detective into his bed to rest properly. The hospitals were all busy and with Hank being of advanced age and poor health Connor didn't want to risk Hank being overlooked by the overwhelmed staff and suffer from serious complications.

"The precinct is going to be run on a skeleton-crew." Connor stated in a professional manner that he hoped would bring Hank out of his delirium just enough to understand what was happening around him. "I can work cybernetically from home until you're well again. However, if I get asked to return to the precinct I will have to go."

"...When's your next game?"

Letting out a weary sigh Connor begrudgingly let the subject drop for the moment. "We're almost home. You'll need to take a shower and change into clean clothes before you lay down."

"Yeah, sure."

The response sounded almost alert and with it Connor felt a modicum of relief. Returning to the driveway beside the house Connor parked the Oldsmobile, turned off the engine and grabbed the grocery bag off the floor.

"Hank," speaking slowly and clearly Connor made sure the ill Lieutenant heard his words. "I'm going to unlock the door, put aside these groceries and then I'm going to come back for you. Stay here."

"...Here?" Blinking a few times Hank looked about the area confusedly. "...We're home."

"That's right. And you're sick."

"Sick?"

"You have the flu, but I'm going to help you recover."

"...What about you?"

"Me?"

Hank pressed his shaking left palm over Connor's forehead to do his own fever check in response to being sick. "...You don't feel warm, but you're still weak."

"That's right. Do you remember what happened to me last week?"

"Sure. You hit your first home run."

"That's not-" There was no point in correcting Hank since he was trapped in a feverish delirium. "Let's just focus getting you well for now."

Moving quickly Connor rushed to the front door with the grocery bag in his left arm as he used the right hand to unlock the front door. Pushing the door open Connor stepped around Sumo as he put the bag down on the kitchen table and turned back around quickly to get back to Hank still sitting in the car. As he pulled open the passenger side door of the car Connor unfastened Hank's seatbelt and pulled the sick detective's right arm around his shoulders to guide him inside the house.

"You'll feel better once that medication has time to work, Hank."

"...Don't get too close to me."

Leading Hank through the front door of the house Connor shifted his weight to accommodate Hank's weight, then shut the door behind himself with his foot with a casual motion. "Why don't you want me to be close to you?"

"...I don't want you to get sick, too."

"I can't get your flu, Hank. Androids are immune to human illnesses."

"Immune, huh?" Laughing stupidly as Connor led him down the hallway and into the bathroom Hank just behaved as if drunk and happy as opposed to sick and miserable. "...That sounds handy."

"Here." Putting down the lid of the toilet Connor sat Hank down atop of it and proceeded to turn on the faucet in the bathtub to draw a cool but not freezing bath for Hank to rest in. Moving slowly Connor removed Hank's shoes and socks, then worked to remove the senior detective's sweaty button down dress shirt to get to the faded gray t-shirt beneath it. "You'll feel better once you're cooled off."

"...Did you finish your homework?"

The strange questions ached at Connor's heart as he knew that Hank was stuck in a hallucination where Connor was Cole; a young boy who tragically lost his life almost four years prior. Unable to break Hank free of his delirium Connor had no choice but to play into it for a while. "...Yes. I'm finished."

"Good job. I'll check your math after dinner."

"Okay... Thank you." Checking the water in the tub Connor adjusted the temperature to warm it up enough to keep the water comfortable while also helping to bring down Hank's fever. Standing upright from the floor Connor helped Hank remove his t-shirt and dropped it onto the floor. "Do you need help with your jeans?"

"Did you feed Sumo, yet?"

"Not yet..."

"Go feed Sumo." A sense of awareness seemed to creep into Hank's consciousness long enough to stand up and gave Connor a focused glance. "I'll have my bath and then we'll have dinner. Okay?"

"Y-Yeah, okay."

Stepping out of the bathroom Connor pulled the door partially shut behind him to ensure the door didn't get locked by accident, and then walked into the kitchen to tend to Sumo. As he poured some kibble into Sumo's bowl Connor noted the remaining groceries on the table still needing to be put away.

"Sumo, come."

The massive dog plodded out of the livingroom and into the kitchen the moment he was called.

"Good dog, Sumo."

Running his hand down Sumo's back Connor checked on the groceries and put the drinks in the refrigerator and the ice packs into the freezer.

"The city is struggling as a whole, and now everyone needs to come together in order to heal properly." Checking the news on a cybernetic level Connor outwardly grimaced at the high numbers of reported flu cases being confirmed all throughout the city. "Damn it. This is getting worse."

Returning to the bathroom Connor opened the door and peered inside the small room. Hank was laying down in the tub and seemed to be relaxing just fine despite his high fever. Knocking twice on the door so he wasn't intruding Connor spoke to Hank from the doorway in a low voice. "How do you feel?"

"...Fine."

Walking over to the tub Connor sat down on the floor and locked eyes with Hank as he ran another scan. "...Do you know where you are?"

"Home. Chillin' in my own tub."

"That's right." Falling silent again Connor studied the senior detective's face closely before he spoke again. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, you're my son."

Worried that Hank was still delirious Connor set up an internal timer to keep Hank in the cool bath for at least thirty minutes to ensure the medication and cool water had adequate time to bring the sick man's temperature down. "...The city is getting sicker, Hank."

"...The flu."

"Correct."

"How bad is it getting, kid?"

The moment of lucidity was precious and Connor wasn't going to let it pass by unnoticed. "Bad enough. The only people left standing at the precinct is myself and the other deviants. You're too sick to be at the precinct, but if you have the strength you can work from home."

"Sounds like fun."

"I'm sorry, I don't like it anymore than you do."

Staring at Connor as reality began to set in Hank's fever began to slowly drop to a much more manageable degree. "How're you holding up, kid? It can't be easy being the only cop left in the whole precinct."

"I'm fine. You're the one who is suffering from the flu."

"It's not that bad, kid. I'm old and tired, but I can handle this."

"I know you can. It's just you were there for me when I was sick with that error and I want to repay your kindness."

"Connor, it's fine. The fact that you got me home and cooled off means you're handling things just fine already."

"Do you need anything else?"

"If you can give me something that'll keep my stomach from betraying me then I'll be eternally grateful."

"I didn't purchase any anti-nausea medication, but I know I can make you something light for dinner that will make it easy for you to recover without vomiting."

Laughing a little at the deviant's honesty Hank gave Connor a casual wave of his hand. "Sure, kid. That'd be great."

"Remain in here for an additional twenty-eight minutes and thirteen seconds before getting out of the bathtub. You need your fever to come down a little further."

"Right. But I'm not going to hide away from the world all because of a little fever."

" _Little_?" The oversimplification of the matter at hand surprised the attentive deviant. "Your fever peaked at one-hundred and four point two degrees. Thank to the medication and cold bath your temperature has dropped down to one-hundred and one degrees even. That's still serious. You've only just begun to regain your senses."

"I'll live. It's not the first time I've been sick or injured."

Nodding a little Connor stood up from the floor and stepped out of the bathroom to set about making Hank something acceptable to eat while still so sick. In doing so he checked with the news and felt his stomach knot up when he was greeted with confirmed deaths being linked to the flu being tallied, and confirmed that the epidemic was warranting national attention.

"Shit..." With his L.E.D. flashing red with distress Connor knelt on the linoleum floor for a moment and gave Sumo a tight hug. Having the furry companion around whenever he was feeling stressed out had proven very beneficial to Connor's psyche. "Things are getting serious, boy. But I won't let Hank down. I'll find a way to help him recover AND I'll keep this city from falling apart."

The idea of losing Hank almost shattered Connor's emotionally immature and growing heart.

"I won't fail him."

_**-next chapter-** _


	3. Suspicions

Warily Connor and with a guarded demeanor watched as Hank slept peacefully in his bed as he struggled to recover from the potent strain of flu that had swept over the city like a tide under a full moon light. The senior detective was still feverish, but he was no longer delirious or hallucinating thanks to the ice bath. With a cold compress smoothed over over his forehead and a change of fresh clothes to help him feel comfortable Hank slept under his thick quilt with Sumo curled up at the foot of the bed completely unaware that Connor was silently scanning his vitals from the opened door frame as he rested.

It had been two hours since Hank had regained his senses long enough to speak to Connor directly, and in that time Connor had been monitoring the activity within Detroit cybernetically to try to keep ahead of the chaos looming around the corner.

' _Markus_ ', addressing the deviant leader from afar Connor stayed in the house for as long as he could. ' _do you have any update regarding the potential aid from other deviants_?'

' _Yes_.' The tone of Markus's voice through the cybernetic line was surprisingly optimistic. ' _Six deviants with medical training have elected to volunteer at the hospitals to aid humans_. _The other forty-three deviants are considering the offer_.'

' _Don't push them if they aren't comfortable with helping humans_.'

' _How're things at the precinct_?'

' _Hectic_.' Admitting he was feeling stressed seemed to be enough to ease Connor's overwhelmed mind as he spoke to his friend. ' _I've been monitoring criminal activity from the house, and fortunately it seems everyone is either too sick or too frightened at becoming sick to do anything foolish as of the moment_.'

' _Guess there's finally something good to be said about this mess_.'

' _I need to find the source of this flu, Markus_. _I may not be a medical android but I am sworn to protect and serve the public_.'

' _I understand your need to help the public, Connor_. _But what can you do_? _It's not like you could find a cure for the flu or anything like that_.'

' _If I can locate the origin of the flu then the city can better contain it and prevent its spread_. _I need to identify the strain, retrace the steps of an infected human and attempt to find a singular connection to all the other sick humans in order to properly contain this flu_.'

' _Can you do that while also watching the city_?'

' _I have to try_.' Running another scan over Hank's vital signs Connor sighed and chronicled the senior detective's current vital signs. ' _Hank is sick and I cannot allow the city to fall apart_. _I won't sacrifice one responsibility for another_.'

' _Wait_... _Hank is also ill_?'

' _Yes_. _He went down this afternoon_.'

' _Which hospital did you take him to_?'

' _He's at home_. _The hospitals are too busy_.'

There was a pause before Markus replied to the comment and offered up his own assistance. ' _You go do what you need to do_. _I'll come by the house to keep an eye on Hank for you_.'

' _I can't ask you to do that_.'

' _Which is why I volunteered_. _New Jericho is doing just fine, and if the other deviants see me volunteering to help the city then maybe they'll volunteer, too_.'

' _Fair point_.'

' _Hold tight, my friend_. _I'll be at the house soon_.'

' _Thank you, Markus_. _We'll be waiting_.' Entering the bedroom quietly Connor pressed his right palm over Hank's forehead to check his fever and to gently wake him up without startling him. "Hank? Please wake up."

Mumbling in response to Connor's voice Hank's blue and glassy eyes opened slowly. "...Cole?"

Hearing Hank repeatedly refer to him as Cole made Connor's heart ache but he didn't dare complain about it or correct him. "Hank, do you understand what I'm saying right now?"

"...Y-Yeah, son. I can hear you."

"Can you _understand_ me?"

"...Yes. What's going on?"

"I need to leave the house and resume my shift at the precinct." Keeping his voice steady and confident Connor reassured the ill detective that everything was going to be alright. "You won't be alone. Markus will be here to help you until I can return."

Blinking slowly Hank focused his glassy eyes on Connor's face and finally seemed to understand him. "...Markus. He's going to come over here and help me?"

"Yes. He's a skilled caretaker and he'll be able to help you until I return. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"I know you'll be back..." Closing his eyes again Hank relaxed against his pillow as he let out a breathy sigh. "...You're my boy. ...You'll always come back home to me."

Fighting his conflicted emotions as he retracted his palm from Hank's forehead Connor took a step back and nodded. "...Of course. I'll return home as soon as I can."

Leaving the bedroom quietly Connor resumed tracking activity in the city and noted the high numbers of humans falling prey to the horrible flu epidemic that was leaving Detroit crippled and running on fumes. This new strain of flu was unlike anything the city had experienced in almost twenty years. The severity and speed of the virus had put many people on guard and a few had barricaded themselves inside their homes while hoarding supplies, and refusing to leave their homes under any circumstance.

Truth be told Connor thought that the humans hiding in their homes and refusing to socialize were incredibly wise.

"Please hold on and let yourself recover, Hank." Standing outside the bedroom door Connor waited for Markus to arrive before leaving the house. The city needed his help, but at the moment Hank needed him more. "You're strong, and I still need you to help me become a better person. Please hold on."

* * *

The precinct was overwhelmed and the few officers that had the strength to work were as rundown and exhausted as the rest of the city. In spite of his abrasive attitude and reputation Gavin was working himself into the ground to help out the precinct as much as possible, and had taken charge until Connor was able to return and take over. As much as Gavin would go out of his way to butt heads with Connor the ill and tired Sergeant was willing to admit defeat and allow the deviant detective; the only person immune to the dreaded flu taking people down left and right, to take command until either Captain Fowler or Hank recovered enough to return as well.

With everyone being so tired, sick and weak crime was at an all time low. If it were under any other circumstance the lack of activity would be praised and seen as amazing progress to a more peaceful future, but with the flu being the cause of everyone deserting the streets for fear of their health the quiet was deemed eerie; not calming.

"This is bullshit." Rubbing his fingertips along his temples Gavin grumbled, coughed a little, and tried to suffer through his nausea and headache without passing out at his desk. Clearing his throat a little Gavin stared at the bottle of red flu medication sitting on the corner of his desk as if it were the elixir to life, and contemplated downing the whole thing in a single gulp. "...What was the point of getting that damn flu shot if we all got sick anyway?"

"This is a new strain of flu." Connor responded without any prompting from Gavin as he walked pass the Sergeant's desk to resume his shift and pick up the slack for the other sick officers and detectives. "The vaccine wasn't able to repel this particular strain."

"...Oh."

"I take it Chris, Tina and Ben are all unable to return to the precinct as of the moment."

"Yup. They're either too sick, or too busy helping other people who are already sick to come back in. It's you and me, 'plastic-wonder'. I don't know what's sicker, that joke or my body!"

Noting Gavin's pale face, sweaty complexion, dark circles under his eyes and raw red nose sympathetically Connor tried to coax the Sergeant into heading home to rest. "It's clear you're ill as well. Return to your apartment and get some sleep. I'll be able to handle things here while working solo."

"No way, 'Tinman'." Leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest Gavin gave Connor a stern look. "I'm not sitting on my ass and watching the city collapse from my livingroom window. I'm staying."

"That is unwise."

"So is trying to run an entire precinct by yourself."

Unable to argue with Gavin's logic Connor just nodded and agreed as he sat down at his desk again. "Was there any updates on the situation at hand while I was tending to Hank?"

"...No." Leaning forward again Gavin pressed his face into his palms and sighed through his hands with an overheated and congested breath. "Everything is just as shitty as before. Whoopdy-shit..."

Standing up again Connor walked into the breakroom, opened up the freezer and pulled out an ice pack. Returning to Gavin's desk Connor placed the ice pack down on the back of Gavin's neck, which caused the Sergeant to jump a little, and then grab onto the ice in response.

"Sorry." Connor noticed the reaction and immediately felt bad for making Gavin physically jump in his seat. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"...Whatever." Grabbing onto the ice with his right hand Gavin moved it to his forehead and leaned into it gratefully. "...Thanks, I guess."

"With criminal activity practically nonexistent I'm going to try to locate the source of this virus and potentially find a way to contain this flu before it spreads even further."

"I think it's too late, 'Tinman'. Everyone has already been taken down."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't find a way to keep everything contained according to the severity of the flu, and find a way to ensure those who are the most ill receive primary care. The hospitals are overwhelmed."

"We don't get paid enough to do triage."

"According to Hank we don't get paid enough to do paperwork."

Laughing a little at the comment Gavin nodded his head against the ice and then laid his head down atop his arms as he continued to hold the ice in place against his forehead. "Yeah, well, he's not wrong!" Despite how horrible he felt Gavin had to agree with that statement. "There's a good reason he made Lieutenant."

Connor's brow arched a little and his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow once as he realized that Gavin had given Hank a compliment. It was rare, if not completely unheard of, to which Connor just chalked up to Gavin running a high fever or being on very potent over-the-counter medication.

"I'll handle everything to the best of my ability, Gavin. You just lay there and try to rest."

Sighing again as he closed his eyes Gavin slumped heavily forward on his desk top to sleep for a moment. "...Can do."

* * *

True to his word Markus stayed in the house and tended to Hank's fever to the best of his ability. It had been almost a year since the Revolution, and in that time Markus pined for his old life where it was just him and Carl; him and his father, enjoying one another's company in the large house. Even though his original purpose in the world was to take care of Carl and tend to his every whim Markus never felt like he was a servant or ever anything less than Carl's family; his own son.

Ensuring that Hank took his next dose of medication and managed to drink some water Markus stayed beside the ill Lieutenant and cybernetically monitored the news to keep track of activity in the city. Noting the offered water, medicine and extra tissues on the nightstand beside the bed Markus confirmed that Connor had taken every necessary step to help Hank recover as quickly as possible.

"It looks like the flu is still spreading," Markus stated calmly as he spoke to Hank in a comforting tone. "but there haven't been any casualties."

Responding in a low and somewhat slurred voice Hank acknowledged Markus's presence. "...Did you finish... your homework?"

Remembering what Connor said about Hank becoming delirious during his fever Markus decided to play along for the moment to keep him content. "Yeah. And I let Sumo outside for a moment. Everything's fine."

"...Good. You're a good kid, Markus."

Hearing his name was reassuring as it meant that Hank wasn't completely out of it. "Thanks. I'm going to make you some soup and toast."

"...No toast."

"Why not?"

"...Crumbs."

Smirking a little at the response Markus just shook his head and patted Hank's chest lightly. "Okay. Just the soup then."

Leaving the bedroom Markus walked down the hallway and noticed Sumo sitting beside the couch looking bored. Petting the dog's ears gently Markus walked into the kitchen and set about making the soup as he promised, and decided to feed Sumo as well since the large dog couldn't feed himself.

"It's not fun dealing with sick people, is it Sumo?"

The large Saint Bernard just wagged his tail a little as he stepped into the kitchen and watched as Markus filled up his bowl for him. The large bag of food in the pantry was always full since Connor made sure to stay on top of the groceries.

"Don't worry." Running his hand down Sumo's back as a sign of affection Markus spoke to the massive dog as if he could understand his words just as easily as another person could. "Hank will be better in a few days, and Connor will be home as soon as he can."

Focusing on the constantly updating news as he set about washing his hands and tending to the fresh ingredients to make Hank his soup Markus frowned at the high numbers of ill people, and could only think back to how just a week prior he and Connor were on death's door along with thousands of other deviants due to their own debilitating plague. The two incidents were sure to mar the year with infamy and negative energy.

"What's going on with this city? Two plagues in less than two weeks." As he prepared the prime ingredients for a nutritious vegetable stock in the pan atop the stove a strange idea suddenly popped into his head. The timing of the second plague was just too perfect after the first plague to be ignored. "...That can't be a coincidence." Reacting quickly Markus cybernetically connected with Connor and let him know of his hunch all the while hoping he was wrong, but also hoping that his hunch could somehow lead to a solution to the crisis at hand. ' _Connor, can you talk_?'

* * *

It didn't take long for Connor to jump all over Markus's suggestion and begin mapping out the city to isolate confirmed flu cases, and compare the reported cases from the hospitals to every neighborhood in the city. With deductive reasoning and few questions being answered by the deviant doctors, nurses and paramedics tending to the sick humans in the hospitals throughout the city Connor finally found the origin of the dreaded flu, and with that confirmation under his belt Connor felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach.

"Damn it..."

"That doesn't sound good." Gavin responded to the dour comment without ever opening his eyes. He was exhausted but couldn't quite fall asleep thanks to his desk being less than comfortable. "...What did ya' find out?"

"The origin of the flu."

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

"Normally, yes. But under these circumstances and in the light of previous events, no."

"My head's killing me." Grimacing as even speaking make his headache throb Gavin lowered his own voice to keep his discomfort at bay. "Don't speak in riddles."

"...Right." The request, while unusual, wasn't unreasonable. "The origin of this flu stemmed from a very affluent area of the city and it quickly radiated outward at a devastating pace."

"Really?" Readjusting the ice over his feverish forehead Gavin cracked open one bloodshot hazel eye and stared at Connor from the distance. "Usually this shit comes from the poor neighborhoods where no one can afford a doctor, or afford to take time off while sick because those affluent assholes don't understand how much privatized healthcare fucks people over. Greedy bastards..."

"Uh, yes," the description, while crude, was entirely accurate. "exactly."

"So, did some rich yuppy bring back the plague after traveling the world on his yacht, or some shit?"

"No." Confirming his suspicions by running cybernetic preconstructions of the flu's path of destruction Connor informed Gavin of the upsetting truth about the flu and why he was suddenly on guard and disappointed. "Unfortunately this new strain of flu originated from a single household that now has a notorious reputation throughout the entire city."

Gavin's ears perked up and he lifted his head a little to open up both eyes as he turned look at Connor directly. "...Alright, you have my attention. Where did this shit-storm start?"

Sighing a little Connor looked over at Gavin as his blue L.E.D. settled on yellow and pulsed a little faster. "The first victim was Dennis Hammond."

_**-next chapter-** _


	4. Clues

Working alone to spare Gavin any further discomfort as he suffered through his flu Connor approached the Hammond household with a warrant in hand to check over the premises for any sign of intrusion, or other unscrupulous activity. Phillip Hammond had been arrested and sitting in lock-up as he was denied bail, meanwhile his son Dennis had been kept under house arrest along with his mother, Winona. Only when Dennis spiked a dangerously high fever were he and his mother escorted to the hospital for treatment, and had been in the hospital ever since his initial infection under security supervision.

Checking over the property for any sign of a break-in, trespassing and other shady activities Connor circled around the entire house three times to ensure nothing was overlooked. All of the windows were secured, as was the garage door, the front door, the backdoor and the patio door. The odds of someone being able to break in without being detected were astronomically low.

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

With his L.E.D. cycling between red and yellow Connor returned to the front door and opened the electronic lock by the handle by using his authority as a cop and the legally obtained warrant to permit his access. Entering the lavish manor Connor noted that the large and spacious dwelling felt cold and uninviting, almost as if the house was nothing more than a showcase building and not a real home.

"No intrusion, no one staking out the property."

Scanning the house in an attempt to locate anything else of interest Connor checked out the livingroom and found nothing amiss.

"No sign of a disturbance or a struggle."

Moving down to the large sitting room Connor's scanner detected the same lack of activity and disturbances.

"How did a little boy who was under house arrest with his mother catch such a severe strain of the flu? Winona has been on indefinite leave of the hospital ever since her husband and son were charged with domestic cyber-terrorism, which means she couldn't have carried the infection back home. Even so," walking down the corridor to locate the dining room Connor continued to speak to himself as it helped him to think. "Winona would've become ill _before_ Dennis, or at the very least shown signs before he became infected."

Passing through the doorway of the dining room that connected to the kitchen Connor's scanner picked up on something unusual. Honing in on the source Connor noted a stack of envelopes, legal documents and opened letters sitting on the counter. Picking up the letters Connor saw that they were hate-mail and threats from anonymous senders, and one even detailed that Dennis was going to pay and suffer for his crime.

' _YOU'RE A HEARTLESS AND IRREDEEMABLE MURDERER_. _BLUE_ _BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS AND YOU DESERVE ONLY PAIN AND DEATH_.'

"...Interesting."

Swiping his right fingertips over the surface of the letter Connor pressed his gathered sample to his tongue and identified the flu strain in a fading yet concentrated dose all over the sides of the letter where it was guaranteed the recipient would hold the letter while reading it.

"Markus was right."

Pulling a plastic evidence bag from his jacket pocket Connor placed the letter inside, along with its original envelope, sealed it up and returned it to his pocket. Moving over to the kitchen sink Connor thoroughly washed his hands, his scanner confirming her removed the contaminant from his fingers under the hot water and soap, and he cybernetically sent an update to the precinct to confirm that he now had a lead on finding the source of the flu outbreak.

"I need to find the person who sent this letter. They created this flu strain which means I can find the strain used and ensure the hospital develops the proper vaccine against it."

* * *

At the house Markus was doing his best to help Hank recover from his flu by helping the senior detective sit upright in the bed to eat the hot soup, but Hank was too tired and a little delirious to really cooperate. Eyeing the kind deviant sitting on the edge of the bed beside him Hank just stared blankly and gave him a lost look. The usually bright and alert blue eyes were glassy and distant as the clinging fever refused to leave Hank's body, and let his mind clear up enough to help himself.

"I know you're not feeling like yourself." Markus sympathized as he pressed the back of his left hand to Hank's forehead to check his temperature. "But you need to try to eat to keep up your strength."

As the deviant leader reached for the serving tray on the nightstand beside the bed Hank suddenly let out a pained groan and awkwardly stumbled out of the bed past Markus, and clumsily made his way into the bathroom. Falling to his knees in front of the toilet Hank began to throw-up and lose what meager contents he had left in his stomach in painful retches.

Markus followed after Hank and turned on the faucet in the sink to run a clean wash cloth under the warm tap. Once Hank finished being sick Markus pressed the washcloth over the senior detective's mouth and chin to clean him up. "How about you just go back to sleep for a while, and try eating later?"

"...Y-Yeah." Spitting the foul taste from his mouth Hank sighed and fell to his left side so he could lean up against the side of the cool bathtub. "...Sure."

"Your fever is spiking again." Markus noted as he monitored Hank's vitals very closely. Reaching into the bathtub Markus turned on the water and adjusted the temperature to be cool and not cold, then plugged up the drain. "You should take another ice bath."

"...Hate the cold."

"I do, too."

"...Where's... Where's my son?"

"He's fine." Unsure of how to talk about Cole, if at all, Markus spoke in cryptic answers that Hank could bend to however he needed them to bend. "I got word from Connor that he found the origin of the flu. He's going to track down the person who caused this mess and he's going to make them clean it up."

"...Yeah? He's a good kid. I'm proud of him."

Smiling kindly Markus helped Hank to remove his sweat soaked t-shirt, then helped him to stand up just long enough to sit down on the edge of the bathtub to remove his sweatpants and then boxers. "Do you need help slipping into the tub?"

"...No. Just give me a minute with my dignity."

"Right." Standing back up Markus turned his back to Hank to let the ill detective finish undressing himself before putting himself into the bathtub. The sound of the water splashing and Hank muffling an annoyed curse at the cool temperature told Markus that Hank was in the bath. "I'm going to give you about thirty minutes to cool down before I try giving you another dose of medicine."

"...I'm fine. Take care of Connor."

"Connor's fine, Hank."

"...He's still sick."

"Well, we're both lacking in nanites right now but he's not sick. He'll be fine for a few days until the new batch of nanites arrive in the city."

"...Kid shouldn't be working alone. It's too dangerous."

"He doesn't have much of a choice." A cybernetic update appeared in Markus's mind as Connor kept him in the loop during his investigation into the flu epidemic sweeping over Detroit. "He's found a lead on whoever set this strain of flu in motion. He'll figure this out soon enough."

"...Will Cole be back in time for dinner tonight?"

Hiding his grimace at the name Markus took another clean washcloth and dipped it into the cool bath water before wringing it out and folding it neatly to press against Hank's feverish forehead. "Everything will be fine, Hank. Just take a minute to relax and let your fever break."

"...I'm fine. Take care of my boy."

"I will, Hank. He'll be okay."

* * *

Returning to the precinct for a moment Connor checked in with Gavin and the remaining deviant security officers who were keeping the building on lockdown, and was relieved to see four volunteers from New Jericho Tower were already there and cleaning up the relatively empty precinct, and were disinfecting the premises as much as possible. Approaching Gavin as he remained slumped over his desk Connor lightly put his hand on the Sergeant's left shoulder to get his attention without accidentally startling him again.

"Gavin?"

"...I'm still alive." Lifting up his head from the completely melted ice pack Gavin gave Connor an exhausted stare. "...Unfortunately."

"I found a lead. I need to go analyze the evidence and I should be able to find the person responsible for this mess."

"... _Okay_? You know I'm not going to help with that, so why wake me up?"

"Because while I'm gone you're in charge. Also," motioning to the deviants disinfecting the bullpen all around him Connor make sure he was aware of what was happening while he was sleeping. "the deviant volunteers and remaining security are going to help you with maintaining a sense of control right now."

"What the..." Glancing about at the unfamiliar faces Gavin blinked a few times, coughed into the bend of his right arm, and then leaned back in his chair with utter fatigue. "When did those guys get here?"

One of the volunteers spoke up as he sprayed disinfectant over Ben's desk in the distance. "We arrived twenty-seven minutes, nine seconds ago. We noticed you are ill and were sleeping, so remained as silent as possible."

"...Oh. Uh, thanks for being quiet. I guess..."

Connor ran a scan over Gavin's vitals and sighed. The sound of his recent cough wasn't pleasant and Connor knew his medication had worn off. "Take another dose of medicine and go lay down in the bunk room. You'll be more comfortable and can rest easier."

"What if someone comes in looking for help?" Pulling a tissue out of the nearby box Gavin coughed again and blew his nose loudly until all the skin around his nose and upper lip were as red as his cheeks.

"Then one of the volunteers or security guards will find you and wake you up. We have the same rank so under normal circumstances I can't order you to do this, but as acting Captain until further notice I do have the power to make you go lay down for a while. I don't want to have to do that."

Unable to even offer up the weakest of an argument Gavin sighed, picked up his bottle of flu medicine and rose from his chair as he threw away his nasty used tissue into the nearby trashcan. "Yeah, yeah... Whatever."

Watching as Gavin slowly made his way across the bullpen, down the corridor and into the private bunk room at the very end of the corridor Connor sighed and looked over to the volunteers taking care of things on the sick officers' and detectives' behalves. "Thank you for being here. I appreciate it."

"We're happy to help, Connor." The volunteer who spoke up earlier responded with a sincere tone to his voice. "Markus told us what happened and we know you helped us fight off that error, and we know that not all humans are responsible for what happened in general. We'll take care of the city and show that we're all equals now. No grudges will be held."

Nodding in approval Connor made his way down the corridor, entered the elevator and went up to the precinct's fourth floor above the dispensary and infirmary on the second and third floors to get to the sterilized analysis lab to continue his search for a lead.

The envelope and letter could provide additional clues to who sent the diseased hate-mail to the infamous family, but until Connor could take a much closer look he wouldn't be able to look for anyone in particular. Wagering that the person who sent the hate-mail was a vengeful deviant, meaning fingerprints and D.N.A. would be impossible to find, Connor knew he had a hell of task ahead of himself.

* * *

Nervously Markus continued his vigil over Hank and monitored Hank's newly developed cough and congested breathing. The sound of Hank's struggling breaths put the deviant leader on guard as he knew that it was entirely possible that Hank could develop pneumonia and be in serious trouble with his health. Not wanting to see the senior detective end up in the hospital and not wanting to tell Connor that his adoptive father was in critical condition, Markus did everything in his power to help Hank recover and calm down after his coughing fit.

"Take in a deep breath and let it out slowly." Pressing his right palm over Hank's chest as it rose and fell slowly Markus retracted the artificial skin from his palm and activated his long dormant emergency medical programming to check on Hank's respiratory function. Both of his lungs were congested and it was clear the flu had settled in his chest and began to fester. "Okay, I'm going to use pillows to prop you slightly upright so you can breathe easier."

"...Wh-Where's... Where's my son?"

Adjusting the pillows under Hank's neck and shoulders to keep Hank's breathing unobstructed Markus listened to the senior detective's exhausted words with a heavy heart. "...He's safe, Hank. He'll be back soon."

Coughing again Hank didn't even try to resist as Markus pressed another ice pack and cool washcloth to his overheated forehead. "...D-Don't want him... to get sick... too."

"He won't."

"...Is he... safe?"

"Yes. Your son is safe."

"G-Good. Don't want him... getting sick."

"You need to take some more medicine." Having checked through everything Connor purchased before bringing Hank back to the house to recover Markus knew exactly what to do and how to help Hank recover as quickly as possible. The medicine he chose was one designed to help break up congestion and ease breathing. "This will take care of your cough, clear up your lungs and help you sleep."

"...More medicine?"

"I'm sorry. I know you don't want to keep taking medicine but I've been closely monitoring your vitals and-"

Coughing deeply again Hank almost doubled over, the ice pack fell from his forehead and onto his lap, and he wrapped his arms around his chest to brace his aching ribs as the coughing fit choked the breath out of his body.

"Easy..." Rubbing his left hand along Hank's back Markus waited patiently for the coughing fit to pass and then guided him back down against his stacked up pillows to rest again. "I know it's hard but take in a slow breath and try to relax." Once Hank caught his breath again Markus offered him the necessary medicine, a red tinted liquid that vaguely smelled of cherry, and helped Hank to ingest it without choking. "You'll fall asleep again soon, and you'll breathe much easier."

Only nodding as he took in wheezing breaths Hank pressed his right palm over his aching chest and closed his bloodshot blue eyes slowly.

"Connor is working to track down the person responsible for this mess. He's certain that the culprit is a deviant seeking revenge for what the Hammond family did to the deviants last week. We'll know soon enough, and hopefully have some form of effective treatment against this strain of flu."

Remaining quiet Hank didn't react to Markus replacing the ice pack over his too warm forehead as he stayed loyally at his side until he was sure that Hank was either out of danger, or Connor was back home to resume care over the ailing senior detective.

"Rest and don't worry, Hank. You're going to be okay."

* * *

Meticulously analyzing the letter and envelope for any telltale sign of the perpetrator for almost three solid hours Connor finally managed to gain some lead to follow in regard to a potential suspect. The paper was 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size, of heavier thirty-two pounds for print, and being of higher quality found in businesses that report numerous documents, legal offices and even within private schools. The envelope had a return address to Phillip Hammond's now failed private practice, but there was a faint watermark that was only legible to Connor's superior android vision that connected the letter and envelope directly to Dennis Hammond's old private school.

Having been expelled for his actions there was no reason for any mail to come from the school and to the family home unless it contained information about the expulsion, however that was not the case. The letter arrived well after the official documents detailing the expulsion had arrived at the home.

"The culprit is connected to the school. And 'patient zero' came from the school during the error crisis last week." Cybernetically Connor tapped into the case regarding the error; all the reports, suspects and interviews, and honed in on a single suspect. "Damn it."

Quickly filing a request for a search warrant, which was approved just as quickly thanks to only having other deviants to respond to the request as opposed to illogical and slower humans, Connor begrudgingly informed Markus through cybernetic contact about his break in the case.

' _Markus, I have an update_.'

Markus responded very quickly with utter alertness in his tone. ' _Let me hear it_.'

' _The flu was created and delivered to the Hammond household to punish Dennis for his misdeeds_.' Leaving the lab and returning to the elevator Connor explained things to the deviant leader as he informed the receptionist up front that he'd be stopping by for his physical copy of the warrant soon. ' _And it originated from the private school where "patient zero" had been infected_.'

'... _This is all about revenge_?'

' _That is the current theory, yes_.'

' _And do you know who is seeking revenge_?'

' _Camilla was the art teacher at that school, and the only casualty from said school courtesy of the error_. _The other affected teacher from the same school was Dennis's math teacher, Trent_. _He recovered while Camilla did not_.'

Markus was silent for a moment before he let out a sigh and followed Connor's logic. ' _You think Trent is responsible for this flu_?'

' _Unfortunately, yes_.' The elevator reached the ground floor and Connor marched through the bullpen, nodding at the volunteers as they finished cleaning up the bullpen and were now moving onto Captain Fowler's private office, the breakroom, the bunk room, the locker room and would then move to the higher floors professionally. ' _I'm going to locate him and question him_.'

' _Do you think Trent is capable of creating and unleashing such a horrible disease_?'

' _I do_.' Receiving the warrant from the front receptionist desk Connor marched outside through the front doors and over to the neighboring parking garage to drive out to the last known residence of Trent to interrogate him. ' _I performed a background check on both Trent and Camilla during my analysis of the evidence I collected_.' Opening up the driver's side door of the Oldsmobile Connor sat down behind the steering wheel, turned over the engine and back the car onto the street to head out to the correct address. ' _Before the Revolution both Camilla and Trent had been employed in disposing of medical waste and other hazardous materials in the medical research facility downtown_. _They deviated together, fell in love and ran off to hide out on Jericho_.'

'... _They changed careers and applied to work in the same school to be together_.'

"Correct." Speaking aloud now that he was alone Connor confirmed that again Markus was following his logic perfectly. "I suspect that Camilla's death created an emotional breaking point for Trent and he wants to get revenge on the Hammond's for her demise. Even though Phillip Hammond is being charged with the attack on our people Dennis, the very student who he and Camilla taught and has been the epicenter of the previous crisis, isn't going to go to jail; only juvenile detention until he's twenty-one years of age. Afterward his record will expunged."

' _And it'll be like Dennis never did anything wrong_.'

"I believe Trent wants Dennis to suffer beyond spending his youth locked up and being watched by guards every second of his days. Having been previously associated at the medical waste facility Trent will know how to get about the facility undetected, and could theoretically get his hands on very potent strains of bacteria, viruses and other forms of infectious illnesses."

' _Do you think he'd kill a child_?'

"I cannot say. I do know that Trent send him hate-mail threatening to make him pay, so I suspect it's possible that he'd be willing to kill to feel vindicated."

' _Shit_. _What can I do to help_?'

"For now just stay with Hank. If it becomes necessary ask for the deviants in the city be on the look-out for Trent, but don't tell them about his plan for revenge. Doing so might elicit a group of followers to support Trent and help him flee."

' _Right, I can do that_.'

Pausing for a moment Connor swallowed nervously and his yellow L.E.D. pulsed once in red before returning to yellow. "...How's Hank?"

' _Sleeping_. _He developed a deep cough, congestion and his fever spiked but he's resting well, and I have everything under control_.'

"...Good. Thank you." Realizing that Markus was spending all his time with Hank as opposed to New Jericho and even Carl made Connor feel guilty for a moment. "What of the others?"

' _North is keeping New Jericho under control, and David, who's Carl's new caretaker, said that Carl managed to avoid the flu because he's staying inside his mansion and painting in his studio_.'

"I'm glad that Carl is doing well."

' _Me too_.'

"I'll let you know when I have another update, Markus. Please keep me posted on Hank's condition."

' _I will_. _I'll stay in touch_.'

Sighing to himself as he eyed the relatively vacant streets, the lack of activity, the lack of people wandering the sidewalks or driving about the streets and the unnerving quiet that stemmed from so many people hiding away in their homes made Connor feel uncomfortable. The quiet of the city would normally be praised by the police and civilians alike, but with everyone either sick or scared the quiet was as eerie as it was thick.

"I know I can figure this out." The deviant detective whispered to himself as he neared the correct address at a steady pace. "I just hope I won't figure it out too late."

**_-next chapter-_ **


	5. Recovery

Locating the correct android exclusive apartment complex Connor parked in the guest parking lot, locked up the car and quickly made his way over to the front door of the eight story building to locate Trent's apartment. Speaking with the building's landlord, a fellow deviant, Connor showed her the warrant and was promptly allowed access to the interior elevator to get to Trent's apartment on the third floor. Sensing the confused stares of his fellow deviants watching his every move as they milled about the lobby and neighboring community room Connor dismissed their prying eyes and set about his business professionally.

The elevator was empty when Connor stepped inside, and it remained as such until he reached the third floor. Stepping out and into the corridor Connor walked down to the fourth door where Trent resided. Knocking twice Connor mentally steeled himself for the inevitable confrontation with the suspect on the other side of the closed door.

"Detroit Police." Announcing his presence with deep authority in his voice Connor scanned the interior of the apartment through the still closed door and sensed Trent walking about slowly. The lone occupant approached the door, unlocked it and opened it without any sign of violent on his end. "Trent. I have a warrant to enter the premises."

Eyeing Connor with a blue bloodshot gaze behind his brown irises Trent didn't at all seemed phased or surprised. "Warrant?"

"For your arrest."

"Oh. I figured you'd be the one to come for me, Connor." Pushing the door wide open Trent took a casual step backward into his apartment and slumped down in the blue recliner in the corner of his livingroom. "I'm impressed. I was certain you'd struggle to find me for another two days, but then again, you're more advanced than I am with your software and programming. Kudos."

"Is that a confession?"

"It is." Motioning for Connor to join him inside the apartment Trent picked up another envelope and letter from the small table in front of him and waved it toward Connor as the deviant detective closed the door behind himself and joined Trent in the livingroom. "It's all right here for you and anyone else who cares to know what happened to read. I admit to everything and I worked alone."

"Why did you do it, Trent?"

"Because I was pissed off. That spoiled brat was an absolute piece of shit to handle day after thankless day in my classroom. He swore, was always tardy, never did his homework, insulted every single classmate and teacher who called him out on his atrocious behavior," shaking his head a little Trent truly looked like the broken man he had become. "he pushed kids around, smacked them, spit on them... he even had the nerve to threaten to INJURE and KILL us, but because his father was rich and worked as a lawyer the school board didn't care, and pretended nothing was happening."

"What was your breaking point?"

"You know what it was, Connor. You were there, you were a part of it."

Understanding what Trent was referring to Connor gave the deviant a sympathetic glance. "It was Camilla's death."

"Camilla was the only good thing in that nightmare of a school. She kept encouraging me to not give up on Dennis or the other spoiled and troubled students, and in the end... He killed her."

"That wasn't his intention."

"It doesn't matter. If the school board would've actually done something about Dennis, punished him, suspended him, expelled him sooner... This wouldn't have happened."

"Perhaps."

"Camilla never said a bad word about any student, even Dennis. That little monster would draw horrible and violent images in her class and then quickly paint over them before Camilla could make a report to the principal; not that the principal would've done anything anyway."

"What kind of images are you referring to?"

"He'd draw crude images of Camilla, myself and the other teachers covered in blood, or phallic symbols detailing horrible violations of his teachers and even his classmates. He was constantly being reported by the staff but the principal ignored it all."

"From what I've read in the report against the Hammond family the principal, Mrs. Hudson, was very cooperative."

"She became the principal _two months ago_. She started making files against all the problem students to ensure they wouldn't be permitted to return in the following school year. She tried to help but knew if she didn't face the parents of these students with a damnable record against them it wouldn't make a difference."

"Trent, how did you get a hold of the flu strain and how did it spread beyond the Hammond household if that was your only target?"

Folding his hands together Trent pressed his knuckles thoughtfully to his chin as he closed his eyes. "...I broke into the medical facility where Camilla and I worked before the Revolution. I took a sample of a specially modified flu strain that was being used to test antibiotics and vaccines. I covered the letter in the flu strain, sealed it in an envelope and dropped it off at the post office. The deviant who took the letter didn't know what she was handling. I still have the strain here. It's in my hallway closet in an airtight metal lock box."

"Deviants cannot be affected by the flu, but any human who did handle the envelope would become infected. Not only did Dennis's mother become infected and unknowingly spread the flu when she opened the letter, she spread it to the human officers who were keeping the house under lockdown, and to the postal carrier every time she checked the mail."

"...I only wanted Dennis to be sick, miserable and afraid for his life. I didn't mean for this to hurt other innocent people."

"I know you didn't. It was an accident. Just as Dennis didn't mean to harm all the deviants in the city, let alone kill so many."

"I highly doubt that, Connor. Like I said," reaching beneath the coffee table Trent presented Connor with his collected documents on Dennis's behavior. His threats, copies of his horrible drawings and recorded footage from his own memories on a thumb drive showcasing his abhorrent attitude were contained in a very packed sealed yellow envelope. "he was a monster."

Accepting the provided documents Connor's yellow L.E.D. pulsed to red and he gave Trent a sympathetic stare. "...This will ensure that Dennis is tried as an adult as opposed to a minor. This proves premeditation, a pattern of abusive behavior and violence."

"Yeah... Dennis will go to jail as he deserves, but Camilla won't come back and all those other innocent people I hurt will have suffered for nothing. I'm just as bad as Dennis."

Picking up on the red flag being waved in his face Connor stared at Trent warily. "...Trent, you will be punished but I know you will be given a lenient sentence."

"I don't care about gaining sympathy from the people." Leaning back in his chair Trent let tears flow from his eyes as he reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a frightfully sharp steel switchblade. "...All I care about is reuniting with Camilla."

"Trent." Pulling his gun from the holster around his back Connor aimed his gun at the deviant as his L.E.D. cycled in a rapid red. "Put the knife down."

"Whether it's my knife or your bullet," Trent scoffed as he flicked out blade and aimed the tip at his own heart. "I'm going to be dead before the day is over."

"Trent, please don't do this."

"I have no reason to keep living. I lost my love, my career and my reason to live. Goodbye."

"No!" Quickly reholstering his gun Connor charged at Trent and tried to wrestle the switchblade from his right hand only to have Trent quickly swing blade at his right forearm. The sharp razor edge of the blade cut through Connor's jacket and dress shirt sleeves, then sliced through the artificial skin over his forearm instantly drawing dark blue Thirium from the wound. "Shit!"

"I'm sorry." Trent apologized sincerely as he watched Connor instinctively stumble back and clutch his left palm over his bleeding right forearm. "You need to tend to your own injury before you bleed to death. Save yourself and please tell Dennis's mother that I'm sorry. I was wrong to do what I did."

Unable to remove his hand from his own wound, the blood pouring freely as his lack of nanites guaranteed heavy blood loss, Connor could only watch in horror and verbally protest Trent's suicide. "Don't do it!"

Without another word Trent plunged the already bloodied switchblade into his own chest, directly into his beating heart. Thirium erupted from his chest in a sapphire gush as the blade quickly destroyed his heart and forced the deviant into immediate shutdown.

As Trent's body slumped to the floor into a puddle of his own lost blue blood Connor could only cybernetically put in the call to have his body taken care of, and to have the apartment under lockdown until the scene could be cleared.

"I'm sorry, Trent."

Walking down the hallway to the closet Connor opened the door with his shaking right hand and located the metal lock box with the flu strain hopefully contained with in. He had the envelope with the damning evidence against a monstrous little boy who needed to be made aware of the severity of his poor behavior, and he had the flu strain that could provide the necessary vaccine to save the sick humans in the city.

"...I need assistance to my current location." Connor verbally and cybernetically requested as he picked up the box by its handle and pulled it out of the closet to be taken away. "We have a victim of a confirmed suicide, and an officer injured at the scene." Looking at Trent's lifeless body and then to the dark blue saturated into his right sleeve Connor sighed and shook his head at the grim sight. "Immediate assistance and escort to St. Vevila hospital has been requested to this current location. Repeat; confirmed suicide and officer in need of assistance."

* * *

It didn't take long for word of Trent's guilt and suicide to spread through the deviant community at a rapid pace.

Damage control was underway to try to reassure the humans that not all deviants were being blamed for the ask of one, just as the police informed the deviant community that the act of cyber-terrorism came from a single ignorant child, an oblivious father and the father's vindictive receptionist. All members of the guilty party had been arrested and charged, and the deviant who caused the flu epidemic had already taken his own life while surrendering the near lethal strain of the flu virus so a vaccine could finally be developed.

With a heavy heart Markus issued a cybernetic statement regarding Trent's confession and suicide to the news to be carried out as professionally and calmly as possible. Unwilling to leave Hank alone while he was still so sick Markus just stayed at the senior detective's side and monitored his fever closely.

"Connor found the person who started this flu epidemic." Whispering to Hank so he didn't startle the sick man out of his sleep Markus replaced the now warm washcloth with a fresher cool one to keep his fever at bay. "He also found the flu strain responsible for this mess, so a vaccine is currently in production at the hospital. You'll be just fine."

There was a knocking on the front door that made Sumo bark from the livingroom, and made Markus quickly stand up to go and see who was at the door. Entering the livingroom Markus let Sumo stand at his side as he opened the front door and was greeted with one of the deviant volunteers who had been helping at the hospital during the crisis.

"Markus." The volunteered offered her right hand and revealed a loaded syringe in her grip. "This is the vaccine for the flu. Connor said he trusted you to help Hank while he remains at the hospital for a while longer."

"Thank RA9..." Taking the syringe Markus sighed with relief and gave the volunteer a respectful nod. "Thank you, too."

"We'll keep delivering the vaccine to the other homes as well. No one will forgotten."

"Good, that's how it should be. Good luck!" Closing the door Markus jogged back down the hallway with Sumo trailing behind him and returned to Hank's bedside. "Hank?" Unburying Hank's right arm from beneath the thick quilt Markus checked the syringe and prepared to inject the vaccine into Hank's system once he got his arm cleaned up. "Hank, I have the vaccine. Connor was successful!"

Waking up from his deep sleep Hank looked up at Markus and acknowledged his presence as he let of a deep cough. "...C-Connor?"

"Yes, Connor succeeded and helped provide the vaccine." Patting Hank's right shoulder Markus hurried into the neighboring bathroom, grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a cottonball beneath the sink, and returned to the bed to prepare the injection. Sitting back down beside Hank without jostling him Markus watched as the feverish detective struggled to remain awake. "Hey, stay with me for just a moment."

"...Proud of my boy."

Reacting to the cold sensation of the alcohol soaked cottonball being rubbed over the vein in the bend of his right arm Hank watched through bleary, bloodshot eyes as Markus picked up the syringe and lined the needle up with the vein appropriately. His years spent taking care of Carl made him a pro on delivering an injection without any pain in the process.

"There we go." With the vaccine delivered Markus put aside the empty syringe and made sure that the injection sight didn't bleed, then monitored Hank very closely to make sure he didn't have a negative reaction to the vaccine itself. "You'll be feeling much better very soon, Hank. Just keep sleeping and when you wake up you'll be a lot stronger."

"...Connor?"

"He'll be back soon, too." Replacing the quilt Markus just kept vigil and waited for another update from Connor or New Jericho. "Just rest and take it easy."

* * *

Patiently Connor sat on the exam table of a treatment room in St. Vevila hospital while Dr. Abby Grayson sutured up his injured forearm while remaining wrapped up under protective layers to keep the flu at bay as she volunteered her services. She had managed to avoid getting sick by taking every precaution available and was determined to make it to the end of her shift without getting sick. Watching Connor through the plastic visor of her protective mask and speaking to him through her surgical mask covering her nose and mouth, Abby noted that Connor seemed glum despite successfully closing the case.

"Your arm will be just fine. Without your nanites you'll need to keep the sutures in for a week." Abby noted as she tied off the last suture and then began wrapping up Connor's arm in a layer of protective android unique gauze. "Other than that you're good to go."

"...Thank you."

"What's wrong?" Slipping off her Thirium stained gloves into a medical waste bin Abby washed off her hands then slumped down into a nearby chair to get off her feet for a while. "You seem upset."

"I'm worried about Hank."

"The vaccine was quickly developed the moment you brought in the strain for analysis. The specialists were very close to a functional vaccine by using the blood serum from other patients already, so you just gave them the final pieces of information they needed."

"That doesn't change the fact that he's older and in fading health due to his previous poor decisions."

"But he's strong and stubborn. He'll be fine."

"...Maybe."

"It's not just Hank that's worrying you. What's up?"

"...I just witnessed someone taking their own life and despite them being just in front of me I couldn't do anything to stop him. I heard him tell his story, explain his reasons and express his regrets. I tried to stop him, he assaulted me with the knife to keep back, and I didn't make another move to stop him."

"Connor, he took his own life and chose to do it in front of you. That's not your fault and you _tried_ to stop him. He hurt you, stunned you and made his final decision. You shouldn't feel bad about not being able to stop him."

"It's... It's not that I feel bad for failing to stop him." Connor lowered his voice as guilt crept in with his own admission. "It's that I felt relieved in knowing I failed to keep him alive. He's dead and won't be forced to stand trial, and now his mental and emotional pain is over. I was relieved to know he's gone and now I feel like that type of reaction makes me... cold."

"I can't imagine what it's like to be a detective and having to deal with the worst of society on a daily basis, but as a former E.M.S. and technician I can say that I understand that sense of relief that comes from death sparing someone pain and suffering. You're not cold, you're empathetic."

"...I've never experienced empathy in such a way."

"It's okay. It's different for everyone and you're still learning how to be more alive and emotional."

The confirmation that he wasn't cold and heartless made Connor's red L.E.D. finally cycle back to a more cautious yellow at long last. "I hope you're right."

"I am. And now," standing up from the chair Abby gave Connor a kind smile behind her mask as she passed him by. "go home. The city is on lockdown, the case is closed and you're now off the clock since you were wounded. Go be with Hank and take it easy. Technician's orders!"

"Right." Appreciative of Abby's help and advice Connor just nodded and looked at his bandaged arm with a wary glance. "It's time for me to go home."

* * *

With Hank's fever finally breaking and his coughing quieted down Markus was confident that the vaccine had worked wonders for the ill senior detective's worn out body. The added medication, time resting and common sense treatment by his own hand had also helped, but Markus was willing to let the vaccine take most of the credit. Staying beside the ill detective Markus returned his right palm over Hank's chest to check his vital signs and breathing, and felt a twinge of relief for the first time in days.

"I told you that you'd be okay."

' _Markus_.' North's voice cybernetically popped into his mind with a chipper tone. ' _The vaccine is working! All of the deviant volunteers have reported that those who received the vaccine are recovering_. _The only casualties were the humans who already had poor health or other infections that were exasperated by the flu itself_.'

' _That's good_. _Very good_.'

' _What's even better are the large groups of humans thanking the deviants who helped them and are beginning to admit how humans and deviants are now codependent on one another during times of crises_. _Deviants need humans to help us out when a viral infection spreads in our programming, and humans need help from deviants a viral infection spreads throughout their homes_.'

' _It's true_. _We need each other_.' Pulling his hand back from Hank's chest Markus stayed beside the ill deviant and would remain there until Connor had returned home at long last. ' _I'm just glad the humans didn't suffer as many causalities as we did_. _That would've caused a civil war for sure_.'

' _I think you're right_. _As soon as you're back in New Jericho you'll need to speak directly with the press and give them a statement about unity and how working together is what kept this city from falling apart_.'

' _You're right_. _I'll be back as soon as Connor's here_. _See you soon, I love you_.'

' _I love you, too_. _Come back to me_!'

The front door of the house opened up and Sumo let out an excited bark as his nails pattered over the hardwood floor to greet Connor upon his return.

"Hank? Connor's back."

Rousing up a little from his sleep Hank cracked open his eyes, the bloodshot tinge was gone and his irises were far less glassy. "...Connor?"

"He's home now."

"...Good." Readjusting his position so he could sit more upright while leaning against the pillows behind himself Hank gave Markus a grateful nod as he gained his bearings and remembered everything that had happened in the past few days. "...Thanks for staying with me Markus. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Hank."

"Hank?" Connor appeared in the bedroom doorway and immediately gave the senior detective a relieved look that made his yellow L.E.D. finally return to blue as it glowed at a slower pace. "How do you feel?"

"Alive."

Smirking at the comment Connor walked over to the bed and put his left hand on Hank's right shoulder. "I'm glad." Giving Markus his right hand Connor shook once and thanked his friend for being there for Hank all day long. "Thank you, Markus. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, my friend." Shaking Connor's hand Markus rose from the bed and then shook Hank's hand as well. "I have to get back to New Jericho and speak to the press. I'll check on you as soon as I can."

"Take care, Markus." As the deviant leader left the house Connor took his spot on the edge of the bed and stayed beside Hank. "I'm glad the vaccine is working and that you're doing better."

"Well, I get the feeling all the medicine you bought and Markus keeping me from keeling over, or accidentally drowning in the toilet when I puked helped a lot, too."

"Your fever has almost broken entirely, and I don't hear any congestion in your breathing. It seems you're on you way to a full recovery."

"Good to know." Noticing Connor's right forearm wrapped up under the gauze Hank asked about the curious injury. "What about you?"

"Suspect attacked me before he... finished himself off."

"Oh, shit. Are ya' okay?"

"Yes. I'm coming to terms with what I witnessed."

"So what was his deal?"

"This entire flu epidemic was the result of Trent, the math teacher from Dennis Hammond's school, wanting revenge on Dennis. He didn't mean for the flu to spread as it had done and was very regretful. He provided enough additional evidence to ensure that Dennis suffers a truly severe punishment for his all of his past behavior; threats and assault, but even so I fear no one will find peace in the aftermath of this tragedy. That's why Trent took his own life."

"Some people can't live with the decisions they've made. At least he felt regret and nothing at all."

"I suppose that's true. It's just unfortunate he let his anger control him to such an extent."

"Yup, no denying that." Sighing a little Hank took notice of all the medicine, water bottles, sports drinks and tissue boxes stacked up on the nightstand beside his bed with a thick grimace on his face. "Shit. This is all for me. How does the rest of the precinct look?"

"It was Gavin and I working alone in the precinct for the remainder of the day. Deviant volunteers cleaned the building and sanitized it, and have given him the same vaccine. He's now resting at his apartment, and is doing well. I checked on him before I returned home."

"What about everyone else?"

"Captain Fowler awoke from his coma twenty-two minutes ago. He and Maria are going to make full recoveries and can be discharged from the hospital in seventy-two hours as long as they don't suffer from any other complications or relapses in their health. They're alert and responding very well to treatment."

"Good. So everyone is going to be okay now."

"Yes. Everything is working out just fine." Curious about how much Hank could've possibly remembered while he was feverish and delirious Connor asked a curious question. "What do you remember before waking up here?"

"I remember I was getting tired and dizzy while I was Captain Fowler's office, and I remember you getting me to drink some water while we were in the car at the drug store parking lot. I also remember you putting me in an ice bath to cool off when my fever got too high."

"...Anything else?"

Letting out a weary breath Hank gave the deviant a knowing look and responded in a calm tone. "You mean do I remember how I kept asking about my son?"

"...Yes."

"Connor, it's okay."

"I just know how you dislike speaking of Cole and I was worried you were stressing yourself out."

Furrowing his brow a little Hank put his hand right on Connor's left shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. "Connor, I'll always miss Cole and I'll always have problems talking about a tragedy from my past, but when I was talking about my son today I wasn't referring to him."

"...You weren't?" Furrowing his own brow Connor gave Hank a lost and utterly confused look. "Then who were you-"

" _You_." Replying sharply and with a stern tone Hank made it very clear who he was really worried about. "I was talking about you, Connor."

The comment made Connor's posture slump with surprise and his brow smoothed out. "...You think of me as your son?"

"Do you seriously think I call you 'son' just because you're younger than me?"

"I just- Human males often refer to their younger male peers with that term as a form of endearment. I never... I didn't think you..."

"Well, you thought wrong. You're my son, Connor. And I'm very proud of you."

"...Then that makes you my... father?"

"Yeah, you got it."

Smirking a little Connor gave Hank a truly grateful stare as true relief and a sense of peace washed over Connor's heart at long last. "...I'm glad. And I feel honored to be seen in such a way."

"Me, too." Pulling back his hand Hank slumped heavily against his pillows and took in a calming breath, his cough no longer a threat. "Now, let's stop moping at the shitty past few days we've been through and enjoy our time off starting tomorrow."

"Yeah..." Nodding in total agreement Connor was ready to move on. "Tomorrow will be a better and brighter day."

_**-End of Story-** _

**Author's Note:**

> As I stated in "Error Unknown" I was working with this idea long before everything went crazy, and I was hesitant to post the story because of our less than ideal situation. But I didn't want to abandon the story let it go unfinished, so I made this sequel with an almost annoyingly upbeat ending, but hey, we need the positivity!
> 
> And with this out of my head and I can focus on my next longer series and add more chapters to "Value of Life". I was given some great prompts for "VoL" and I want to get them written down!


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